Beautiful and Damned
Beautiful and Damned is a stage musical based on the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Cast *Michael Praed - Scott *Helen Anker - Zelda *David Burt - His Honour/Hemmingway *Susannah Fellows - Minnie *Valerie Cutko - Marsha/Mme Egorova *Heather Douglas - Lois *Katie Foster-Barnes - Young Zelda/Scottie *Jo Gibb - Rosalind/Hell Let Loose *Jolyon James - Eduouard Jozan Plot The Paris night-clubbers sum up 24 year old Zelda and 28 year old Scott. 24 year old Zelda's paintings are being exhibited at the Columbe d'Or Hotel in St. Paul de Vence on the French Riviera. Zelda decides to also "exhibit" her dancing capabilities to the guests. It’s a hot summer Saturday night dance in Montgomery, Alabama. The local hicks and Yankee soldiers all want to dance with 18 year old Montgomery Belle, Zelda Sayre. Moreover, they all want to take her home into the bargain. Who will strike lucky? 21 year old Lieutenant F. Scott Fitzgerald meets 18 year old Zelda Sayre. Scott steps outside the dance hall to take a breath of fresh air. A magnolia tree is in full blossom. He plucks a blossom from the tree. On the front porch of their home in Sayre St. Montgomery, Alabama, 18 year old Zelda Sayre is being berated by her mother and sister Rosalind for her ‘wayward’ attitude. Zelda sings:-Cos I simply refuse to be a girl. It's 1918 in Deep South, Alabama. Judge Sayre of Montgomery realises he is about to lose his 18 year old daughter Zelda to 21 year old ‘Yankee’ northerner, Lieutenant F. Scott Fitzgerald. In ‘Buddy’s Bar’ New York in 1921, 22 year old F. Scott Fitzgerald and his contemporaries don’t give a damn about tomorrow, all that matters is what happens today. They sing:- Tomorrow won’t happen till tomorrow It’s 1921 in New York. 25 year old author-to-be F. Scott Fitzgerald is struggling to earn a crust writing jingles for an ad agency. The problem is his tunes are always the same. It’s only the words that are different. 22 year old Scott is in New York. 19 year old Zelda is in Montgomery, Alabama. They keep in touch by writing constant streams of letters to one another. It’s the wedding night of Zelda (20) and Scott (24) at The Biltmore Hotel, New York on Saturday April 3 1920. The party is slowing down. Zelda decides to liven things up. She goes downstairs to the kitchen in search of the latest cocktail, a ‘Pink Lady.’ ZELDA is in the asylum suffering from a breakdown and sings. "On my own again," Lois is engulfed in Hollywood glory. But it is gaudy, tawdry and mocking, both of Scott’s endeavours as a writer, and Zelda’s as a ballerina. It’s 1924. All is going well in 28 year old Scott’s life. He is contemplating the title of a new novel based on his and Zelda’s life. Tender Is The Night will take him 6 years to complete. 24 year old Zelda, 28 year old Scott and 3 year old daughter Scottie are leaving New York for France. The Colombe d’Or restaurant, Saint Paul de Vence, has been hung with an exhibition of Zelda’s pictures. A party is being given for a private viewing. The Paris café crowd is there in abundance - Pablo Picasso, Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway to name just a few. Zelda and Scott sing:- "There isn’t anybody here that Hasn’t got a reputation. It’s 1924. 24 year old Zelda, 28 year old Scott and their contemporaries are enjoying themselves on the French Rivera. It is New Year’s Eve, 1930. In Europe, the Ex-Pats party on Le Cabuchon, a night-club in the Seizieme, trying to ignore the disastrous economic conditions back home. “Les Girls” (The Trouble Girls) are doing a big production-number, led by Madame Egorova. 32 year old Zelda is unwell in a psychiatric hospital. For therapy, her physician suggests she writes everything about her life down on paper. She feels it would make a good novel. She decides to call it Save Me The Waltz. It takes her six weeks to complete. Zelda, mother Minnie, daughter Scottie, sister Rosalind and Lois Graham sing their personal experiences of being a woman and reminisce on their experiences with Scott. 43 year old Scott visits the hospital where 39 year old Zelda is resident. They walk into the gardens and sing of their enduring love for one another. Musical numbers ;Act I *"I'm Dancing" - Zelda, Young Zelda *"No Can Figure" - Zelda and Suitors *"Beautiful Magnolia" - Scott *"Refuse to be a Girl" - Zelda, Minnie, Rosalind *"Little Miz Alabama" - His Honour and Scott *"Tomorrow Won't Happen" - Customers, Barmaids and Casey's Grill Girls *"The Letters" - Scott and Zelda *"The Letters" (Reprise) - Scott *"Beautiful Magnolia" (Reprise) - Scott *"Beautiful and Damned" - The Company *"Finale: Act I" - Scott ;Act II *"On the Riviera" - The Company) *"Living Well's the Only Way" - The Company *"The Old World Shines Again" - Mme Egorova and Company *"The Old World Shines Again" (Reprise) - Edouard *"Trouble" - Mme Egorova and Girls of Le Cabuchon *"Cocaine Tap" - The Company *"Golden Days" - Zelda *"The Queen of Babylon" - Lois *"Tender is the Night" - Scott *"Save Me the Waltz" - Scott and Zelda *"Bring a Woman" - Minnie, Lois, Rosalind, Scottie *"Even Now" - Scott and Zelda Category: Stage musicals